Chronicles of coaching American football in Italy (2008, 2009 & 2018), in Sweden (2010, 2016 & 2017), in Switzerland (2012), winning a Division III National Championship in France (2012-13), in Spain (2015 & 2016) and in Mexico (2017) as well as walking the Camino de Santiago in August-September of 2010.

About Me

I have been married to Laurie for over 46 years. Our oldest son, Andy, lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Jenn and their son Kevin. Our youngest son Mike lives in Oxnard, California with his wife Vanessa and their kids Jacob and Mary. Although I retired from teaching in June of 2007, the 2015 football season marked my 45th year of coaching football at five high schools in Southern California's Ventura County - Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Rio Mesa, Buena and Newbury Park. In 2008, I opted to try something totally different in my coaching career and started coaching in Europe. My EuroBall stops have been in Catania, Sicily in 2008 & '09, Hässleholm, Sweden in 2010, Thun, Switzerland in 2012, Lyon, France in 2012-13 with the 12-0 National Champion Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons, Murcia, Spain in 2015, Rivas, Spain in 2016, Upplands-Väsby, Sweden in the Spring of 2016 & '17, in Mexico to coach the Europe Warriors in Aug. & Dec. 2017 and now in 2018 in Varese, Italy. Join me as I explore and chronicle my newest adventures coaching American football in Europe. My European touring also included a 500 mile Pilgrimage Walk on the Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2010.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Paul Leaves Catania, Trapani and Caltanissetta

If you are a track fan and want to see video of Valexia Droughn's State Championship 100 Meter race, scroll down two posts. I've just been able to add the video thanks to her coach, the Honorable Brian FitzGerald.

Monday night was dedicated to a Juniors practice and a final Catania area good-bye dinner with Paul.

Junior's at Work

We're getting better.

Paul and Gus

Gus led us to a very cool outdoor pizzeria in the hills above Aci Trezza where his sister works for our last dinner with Paul.

Paul would be leaving us via Trapani and Croatia on his way back to Santa Barbara, California.

IN THE BIGGEST UPSET SINCE SUPER BOWL III, the pizzas were so big that Paul could only eat half of one with his beloved anchovie and multi-vegie pizza.

Vanessa

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, I think of her.

Evolution of Sports in Catania

Encouraging news for the Elephants, on our way out of town Tuesday to drop Paul off in Trapani on Sicily's west coast, we found this new ad.

Paul thought the first character on the left of the ad was a GREAT example of "Basso Spalla!".

Koreen and Shi Young

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, I think of them.

One of Trapani's Duomos

Paul arriving at Trapani's Albergo Messina

Not bad for 20 Euros a night.

I didn't do it!

Laurie in the Albergo Messina's Courtyard

Paul was ready for a nap as he helps contain the "thinking" angel.

Paul is one of the most fascinating people you could ever meet.

He did a TREMENDOUS job coaching our defensive line and improving our defense by leaps and bounds over last year.

As long as they live, no 2009 Elephant will ever forget his three signature phases: "Contain!", "Panini!" and "Basso Spalla!".

THANKS Paul for a job well done!!!

Trapani's Pallazo Senatorio

What a unique street name!

Chiesa di San Agostino

Not all Italian fashion this spring is about the color purple.

An Old Balconey

Trapani's Post and Telegraph Office

I had to go in here to try to pay my 39.10 Euro parking ticket from Acirealle a few weeks ago at their hospital waiting for Paul after his accident.

I had actually gone to the Aci Castello Post Office at 8:00 a.m. this morning to finally pay this fine just as they were scheduled to open. At about 8:10 with four of us waiting for the doors to open, a postal delivery man rode up on his scooter and was asked why they were not open.

His answer? We open at about 10:00 or maybe 10:30 today. Why?, he was asked, again. Just because.

The joys of living in Italy.

The very cool, and EMPTY, interior of the Trapani Post Office

The Trapani Post Office's Glass Ceiling

Aci Castello's Post Office has nothing like this unless they were installing it between 8:00 and 10:00 or 10:30 today.

Trapani's Mediterranean Sea Wall

Chiesa e Collegio dei Gesuiti's Pulpit

I wish we still used these in Catholic Church services.

Fontana di Saturno

What is this?

We saw this puzzling sculpture in Trapani's Cattedrale di San Lorenzo.

Purgatory? Right this way!

The Chiesa del Purgatorio

A perfectly normal looking Italian Baroque church from the outside. On the inside this church is very stark and plain except for more than ten large Candelas depicting scenes from Christ's Passion which are apparently stored here until needed for next year's Easter Week parades and festivities.

Here is a sampling of the Candelas, remember, each figure is at least life size.

Christ Carrying His Cross.

The Crown off Thorns

Those do not look like any Roman uniforms that I've ever seen before.

Slap Down?

Who doesn't love a potential beheading?

I don't remember this from my bible studies but it must have happened if it is in Purgatory.

Items for sale at the back of the Chiesa del Purgatorio

The Liduvina Perez Mystery Saint-of-the-Day Contest: No Clues! Name either of the two saints, yellow and blue, on the bottom row of this religious display.

How old are these two gnarly tress?

I think they were both featured as the talking trees in the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz".

Hay Baling Time in Sicily

After leaving Paul in Trapani, we started the long three plus hour drive back to Malibu through the Sicilian countryside.

We decided to stop for dinner in Caltanissetta, the ancestral home of our friend Mike D'Antuono and his mother Lucy D'Antuono.

One of Caltanissetta's interesting street benches

Caltanissetta's Piazza Garibaldi

Cattedrale di Santa Maria la Nova e San Michele

Caltanissetta's City Hall

Also located on Piazza Garibaldi

Chiesa di San Sebatiano

Located about 50 yards directly across from the Cattedrale on Piazza Garibaldi.

Piaza Garibaldi's Neptune Fountain

This fountain acts as a buffer on the Piazza between these two competing churches.

"EEK!"

An interesting mutant amphibious mouse (?) in the same fountain where Neptune reigns.

Caltanissetta's City Hall close up

Covo del Pirata

We found this very nice place to eat on a side street in Caltanissetta and were treated to some very delicious pasta. Strange name for an establishment considering that the closest sea water is about 30 miles away.

We finally rolled into Malibu at about 11:30 p.m. and were greeted by our new housemate, QB Arturo Sanchez, who moved into Paul's room while we were gone in a cost-saving mode for the Elephants now that we are the last imports in town.

It now looks like we will be leaving Catania on June 29th to start our own long trek home to Camarillo, California.